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UAE, Philippines sign memorandum on recruiting domestic workers

Gulf News, UAE, 12 September 2017 - The UAE and Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding on mutual cooperation in the recruitment and employment of domestic workers in the UAE.

The MoU highlights the keenness of both nations to bolster cooperation in the field of labour, and facilitating the process for approving and recruiting domestic workers in a way that ensures transparency between the contractual parties and that the process is in accordance with the laws of both nations.

The memorandum was signed in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday by Saqr Ghobash, the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation for the UAE, and Silvestre Bello III, the Secretary of Labour and Employment for the Philippines.

Recruitment of Filipino domestic workers will begin once all the necessary procedures are taken for facilitating the recruitment process.

“The MoU is a result of many consultations held between the two countries, which began when the UAE Cabinet tasked the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation with overseeing the domestic workers sector in the country,” said Ghobash.

“The ministry contacted its counterparts in countries from which the UAE has a huge demand for domestic workers, and among them was the Philippines. The goal was to conduct consultations and reach an understanding on the employment of domestic workers from the aforementioned countries, which opens up new markets for attracting domestic workers,” he added.

For his part, Silvestre Bello III said that the MoU enhances the partnership between the UAE and Philippines in the field of labour and Filipino workers, as well as improving the management of the contractual period between employers and expat workers.

The MoU stipulates a host of procedures concerning the different stages of the contractual process, with the employment process of domestic workers being subjected to a UAE model contract. The recruitment office is tasked with sending the job offer to the employee in their home country and listing the obligations of the labour contract. The contract will be signed by the employer and employee upon the arrival of the latter to the country.

Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry are able to offer recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers that have been submitted by employers. Awareness and guidance programmes will also be organised for the employer, and the employee prior to leaving the Philippines. The programmes will inform contractual parties about their rights and obligations towards each other.